Ore-classifier.



D. .I. NEVILL.

ORE CLASSIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.28. 1913.

1,156,543. Patented 001. 12, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 11 D. J. NEVILL- ORE CLASSIFIER.

APPLICATION man mus. 19x3.

' Patented 00$. 12; 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHET 2 n. J. NE V'|LL. ORE CLASSlF|ER.

APPLICATION EILED JAN-28. I913.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ll IIIL D. 1. NEVIL L. ORE GLASSIFIER. APPLICATION FILED lA-N.28. I913.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES:

messes.

a ree rains.

DAVID J. NEVILL, OF DENVER, CSJLQRADO, ASSIGNQR Ti THE D0333, CYANIDE l MACHINERY COMPANY OFjDENVER, fiDLi'JB/ADO, A C'GRPOILATION.

onn-cnassxrisn.

Tau whom it may concern: Be it known that I,

etc, having declared my intention of becomin a citizen of the United States, residing at benver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Classifiers, of which the following is a specification' My invention relates to a classifier or de waterer of the type shown and described in United States Letters-Patent No. 819,379,

John Van N. Dorr, April 9, 1907; No.

996,624, John Van N. Dorr, July 4, 1911, and No. 1,024,647, David J. Nevill, April 30, 1912, which, briefly, consists of an inclined settling trough in which a rake element has a reciprocating movement to impel the sands settled out of a wet pulp, to a discharge opening at the upper end thereof while the slimes are maintained in suspension and dis charged at the opposite end of the same.

The rake element is at the ends of its strokes, alternately raised and lowered so that during its return or downward motion, it will move. above the surface of the sands in the trough, and an adjustment is provided whereby when the machine is stopped for any length of time, the rake may be moved to a plane\above the surface of the material contained in the trough to prevent the settling and packing matter from obstructing itsmovementw'hpn the operation of the machine is subsequently resumed.

The present invention relates more particularly to improvements in the rake element above referred to and in the mecha nism for operating and adjusting the same, and one of its ob ects is to provide a rake construction b which the transverse gullies' produced in t e sands on the bottom of the trough bythe reciprocating motionof the rake-blades, are at the upper end of the said trough, formed to slope toward one side of the some for the purpo'seof draining water carried upwardly with the sand, to the lower end of, the machine. l

1 'Another object of my invention consists providing certain imp ovements in the operating and adjusting mechanisms above referped to,- wherehy t eix construction is simp ifiecland their operation greatly facilitat d f .iThe" aboveand other objects all of which willbe fully -loroughtoutgin the following Speoif ation of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 12,

Application filed January 28, Serial No. Matte.

. description, I by the mechanism illus- DAVID J. NEVI LL, asubject of George V, King of Great Britain,

trated in the accompanying drawings in the various views of which like parts are similarly designated, and in which Figure 1, represents a plan view of my improved classifying apparatus; Fig. 2, a longitudinal, vertical section through the same taken along the line 22, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a transverse section along the line 3--3,

Fig. 1, drawn to an enlarged scale; Fig. 4-,-

. and 7 fragmentary plan-views of the upper portion of the rake illustrating still other modifications in the construction of the same, and Fig. 8, a section taken along the line 88, Fig. 6.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the reference numeral 2 designates an inclined settling box or trough which by means of a central, longitudinally extending partition 3, is divided into two adjoinin compartments.

The trough which is fixedly supported upon a basal structure 1 of suitable construction, is closed at its lower end to a point near the upper edges of its sides, at which it is provided with an overflow 5 which determines the water level in the trough as indicated by a broken line 6 in Fig. 2, and through which the slimes contained in the pulp are discharged from the machine into a launderv 7 which conveys them to a suitable receptacle remote from the classifier.

The sands which by the action of the rakes hereinafter to he described, are moved to the upper, open end of the trough, are discharged through the said end are another launder 8.

- The aqueous pulp to beoperated upon is fed into the trough at a point nearest the lower end thereof through a"transversely disposed f eed hopper 9 whichat its lower end has a plurality of outlet slots through which the material flows onto a distributing plate 10, and a bathe board 12 whieh is vertically a'djustably disposed-in guide g;s p.,ves'.'

moved to the upper end of the same by the Y action of reciprocating rakes 13 which being separately and coiiperatively disposed in the two compartn'ients of the trough, are each composed of a pair of longitudinal bars 14 connected by a ,plurality of equidistant, downwardly extending rake-blades 15 Each rake is provided at its end adjacent the upper end of the trough, with. a pair of upwardly extending link-shaped hangers 16 and at a point remotevfrom the said end, witha single hanger l7 composed 'oftwe plates which extending convergently from the bars,are connected at their upper ends, the said several hangers being provided for the connection of the rakes with the operating and adjusting mechanisms hereinafter to he described. The outer one of the two longitudinal bars comprised in each rake is at its end adjacent the upper end of the trough, offset in an upward direction as shown at 18 in Fig. 2, for the purpose. of inclining the blades disposedat the said end, from their outer ends inwardly as is best shown in Fig, 3 of the drawings. When in the operation of the machine, the rakes are reciprocated. the blades moving laterally through the sand on the bottom of the trough, form transverse ridges and by inclining the blades at the upper end of the trough, as above described, the gullies between the said ridges will at the said end be formed t slope toward the center of the trough and thus facilitate. the drainage of fluid carried upward with the sand, toward the lower end of the machine.

It will be readily understood that the above result may be obtained by divers other methods as for example, by, inclining the lower edges of the blades upwardly in opposite directions from a central point as shown in Fig. 5, by placing the blades obliquely with relation to the direction in which the rakes have their reciprocating movement,

{whereby their horizontally disposed lower edges are disposed at an angle to the bottom surface of the trough as illustrated in Figs. '6 and )8, or by' providing angular-blades whose sides .converge from a central longitudinal line in the rake element, for the same purpose, as is sho wn. in Fig. 7. -'lhe rakes disposed, in the two compartments of the trough are-similar in construction and. cooperatively 'connected with one and the same adjusting and operating mechstandards 21 erected at the upper end of the trough 2.

The upper one of the two shafts carries a pulley for its operative connection with a conveniently located motor and its rotary movement 1s transmitted to the lower shaft by means of a pair of gear'wheels 23 and 24 which are preferably inclosed in acasing The shaft 20 is provided at its ends with oppositely extending cranks 26 which by means of pitmen 27 are connected with the rakes in the trough compartments toimpart a reciprocating movement to the same, and

the said shaft is furthermore provided with cams 28, the circumferential faces of which are engaged by anti-friction wheels 29 at the lower ends oflevers 30 which are fulcrumed upon a shaft 31 that is rotatably supported in bearings on a frame at the upper end of the'trough.

The levers 30 are at their upper ends, connected with the hangers 17 of the respective rakes, through the medium of a system of levers hereinafter to be described and they are each provided with laterally extending arms 32 which at their outer extremities are connected with the link-shaped hangerslti by means of inverted U-shaped yokes 33 whose upper or transverse portions are rotatabl y mounted in boxes 34 which are pivotally supported to move about transverse axes, in seats formed at the ends of the respective lever arms.

The yokes are at the extremities of their downwardly extending member's, bent outwardly for the provision of trunnions which are rotatably fitted in boxes and these boxes project loosely through the up and downwardly extending slots of the hangers 16.

Rotatably mounted upon a transverse shaft 36 which is supported on uprights 37 secured to the sides of the trough, is a bellcrank composed of a single upwardly extending arm and two laterally projecting arms 39 formed integral with a sleeve (50 which at its ends is engaged by collars 61 on the shaft, to prevent its longitudinal displacement.

The arms 3!) of the bell-crank carry at their extremities, a shaft !;0 upon which are fulcrumed two bell-cranks 41, the arms of which are res ectively connected with the upperLends of the levers 30 and with the hangers 17 near the lower ends of the rakes,

masses The connections between the bell-cranks 41 and the respective levers are estab-- lishedby means of rods 43 which at one of of universal joints 46 which are provided to permit of a limited independent movement of the rakesto prevent their breakage by engagement with obstructions encountered during their reciprocating movement.

The single, upwardly extending arm 38 of the bell-crank on the shaft 36 is by means of a rod 47,.connected with a chain L8, whose opposite ehd'is attached to a winding drum 49 which is rigidly mounted upon the trans verse shaft 31 upon which the levers 30 are fulcruined.

The-shaft 31 is at one of its ends, provided with a crank-handle 50 by means pf which it can be rotated for the purpose of winding the chain 48 upon the drum, and it furthermore carries a ratchet wheel 51 which in conjunction with a pawl 52 mounted on an adjacent part of the frame 55, prevents its retrograde movement.

In the operation of the classifier the rotary movement of the crankshaft 20 is by means of the pitmen 27 converted into a 1011- two rakes 1H opposite directions.

gitudinally reciprocating movement of the During the upward, effective stroke of the rakes in which the lower. edges of their blades move in a plane substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the trough, the sands settled out of the pulp are moved upwardly along the said surface to be discharged through the open upper end of the trough, while the slimes are maintained in suspension and discharged through the overflow at the lower end of the same. The rakes are at the termination of their effective stroke lifted above the surface of. the sand in the trough by the action'of the cams 28 on the lower arms of the levers 30, and are by gravitation, lowered to their normal-position in close proximity to the bottom surface ofvthe trough aft the end of their return stroke before they are again moved upwardly to impel the sand toward the discharge opening at; the upper end of the same.

When the operation of the machine is discontinued for any length of time, the pulp remaining in the trough and more particularly that contained in the lgwer portion of the same, settles and packs and would, if the rakes remained in their normal position,

embed their blades in a mass of suficient' solidity to prevent their movement when the "operation of the machine is subsequently resumed. To prevent an occurrence of this character, the rakes are moved out of the pulp contained in the trough before it has had an opportunity to settle, by winding the chain t8 upon the drum through rotation of the shaft 31, which causes the bell-crank mounted upon the shaft 36 to move about its axis of rotation, thereby raising the fulcrum of the bellcrank 41 and compelling the rakes to swing about their points of suspen sion from the lever arms 32.

The adjustment of the rakes while being more especially provided forthe above mentioned purpose, is also of use when it is desired to reduce the settling area of the material for the purpose of varying the degree of coarsenessat which the sands and slimes are delivered at the opposite ends of the trough. While heretofore it wasnecessary for the ac- I complishment of this purpose to vary the inclination of the entire trough, the same result may now be attained by changing the j angle of the plane in which the rake blades have their movement, relative to the bottom surface of. the trough. The" loose connection of the rods 4&3 with the uppergarms of the lever 30, the pivotal 'connection'of the boxes 3% with the lateral artn's 'of the same, the connection of the yokes t3 with the hangers 16 whereby they may move dewnwardly through the slots thereof, and the universal connections between the hangers at the lower portions of the rakes and the links 42 by which they are connected with the bell-cranks l1, cooperate for the self-adjustment of the rakes either laterally or up and downwardly to prevent breakage,

by the engagement of their blades with rocks and other, obstructive objects in the trough, and to relieve the operating parts from strain and consequent wear. I

The operation may, if so desired, be facilitated by the application of a counterweight 53 on the bell-crank mounted on the shaft 36, as is shown in Fig. 2, and it will be understood that other variations in the con struction and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to within the scope of the claims and that in small capacity machines, a single rake may be operated in an undivided trough by similar mechanism and in the same manner as that hereinabove described.

\Vhile the adjustment of the rakes to a plane at an angle to that in which it has its modifiedconstructiorf the rakes are at their upper ends, suspended from bell-cranks 54 which like those from'which their lower ends are suspended, are fulcrumed upon the lower arms 55 of a bell crank which is movably mounted on a shaft 56 supported on uprights 62 which are secured to the sides of the trough.

The upper arm 57 of the bell crank on the shaft 56 is by means of a rod 63 connected with the corres onding arm 38 of the bellcrank on the shaft 36, and by means of a chain 64 with the drum 49, and'the upper arms of the bellcranks'54 are pivotally connected with the rods 43 by means of which the movement of the levers 30 is transmitted to the respective bell-cranks 41 in the construction shown in Fig. 1.

The connection between the hangers 16 and the bell-cranks 54 may be established by yokes 59 similar to those used for connecting said' hangers with the lever arms32 in the preferred construction, and levers 58 formed without the lateral arm 32, are used to convert the rotary motion of the cams 28 into a rocking movement of the bell-cranks 41 and 54 from which the rakes are sus-- pended.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the character described, a reciprocating rake having a pair of slotted hangers, and means for movably suspending said rake, including a pivotally mounted yoke extending loosely in the slots of said hangers.

2. In apparatus of the character de-' scribed, a three-armed lever, a bell-crank operatively connected with one of said arms, a rake movably suspended from said bellcrank and an other arm of said lever, 'mechanism for imparting a reciprocating move ment to said rake, and a cam cooperative with said mechanism for engagement with the third arm of said lever to move the latter about'its fulcrum at determinate points in said movement.

3. In apparatus of the character described, a three-armed lever, a bell-crank, a rake movably suspended from arms of said bell-crank and said lever, a rod connecting the other arm of the bell crank with another arm of said lever,'mechanism for imparting a reciprocating movement to said rake, and a cam cooperative with said mechanism for engagement with the third. arm of said lever to move the latter about its fulcrum at determinate poin'ts in said movement.

4. In apparatus of the character described, a'three-armed lever, a bell-crank, a rake movably suspended from arms of said bell crank and said lever, a rod connected? at one of its ends with an arm of said bell crank and longitudinally movably connected at its bpposite end with another arm of said lever, mechanism for imparting a reciproeating movement to said rake, and a cam 00- operative with said mechanism for engagement with the third arm of said lever to move the latter about its fulcrum at determinate points in said movement. I p 5. In apparatus of the character de scribed, athree-a'rmed lever, a bell-crank, a rake movably suspended from arms of said bell-crank and said lever, a rod connected at one of-i'ts ends with an arm of said bellcrank, a link adjustably attached to the other end of said rod and loosely connected with another arm of said lever, mechanism for imparting a reciprocating movement to said rake, and a cam cooperative with said mechanism for engagement with the third arm. of said lever to move the latter about its fulcrum at determinate points in" said movement.

6. In apparatus of the character described, a trough, a reciprocating rake for moving material alongthe bottom surface thereof, a pair of rocker arms from which Said rake is movably suspended, and means for raising movement, by one of said arms.

7. In apparatus of the character described, I

a reciprocating rake, a bell-crank from which said rake is suspended, a winding drum, and i a flexible member connected to be wound on said drum, and connected with said bellcrank for moving the same about its fulcrum.

a reciprccatingrake, a bell-crank, means for adjusting the position of said crank by mov-' ing it about its fulcrum, and a pair of rocker: arms from which said rake is movably sus-P pended, one of said arms being mounted on an arm of said bell-crank. A

,9. In apparatus of the character described} a reciprocating rake, a bell-crank, a winding, drum, v wound upon said -{drum and attached to a11 l 8. In apparatus of the character described; l

a flexible member connected to be! arm of said be ll-crank, and a pair of k g arms from which'said rake is movably suspended, qne ,o an arm ofas'ai bell-crank.

10. Inl applaratus of the character described, a

means vfor adjusting the position of said rediprocating rake, a bellcrank,

said arms being mounted on i crank by moying it about its fulcrum, and a pairof cooperatively connected rocker-arms from which said rake is movably suspended,

one of said arms being mounted-on an arm of said bell-crank.

, 11. In apparatus of the character described, a rake, a bell crank, a pair of cooperatively connected rocker-arms from which said rake is movably suspended, one of said arms being'mounted' on an arm of said hell-crank, a winding drum rotatable about an axis coincident with that of the other arm, a flexible member connected to be wound on said drum and attached to the other arm of said bell-crank, mechanism for imparting a reciprocating movement to said rake, and means cooperative with said mechanism for raising the same at a determinate point in its movement, by adjustmentof said arms, 12. In apparatus of the character described, a rake for movihg material, a hell crank, a pair of cooperatively connected rocker-arms from which said rake is movably suspended, one of said arms being mounted on an arm of said bell-crank, a winding drum rotatable about an axis coincident with that of the other arm, a flexible member connected to be wound on said drum and attached to the other arm of said bell-crank, and mechanism for imparting a reciprocating movement to said rake.

13, In apparatus of the character described, a rake for moving material along a. surface, a rocker-arm from which said rake is movably suspended, and means for raise ing said. rake by varying the position of the axis about which said arm has its movement.

1a. In apparatus of the character described, a rake for moving material along a surface, axis, and a rocker arm from which said rake is movably suspended, fulcrumed on said arm.

15. In apparatus of the character described, a rake for moving material along a surface, a bell-crank, a rocker arm from which said rake is movably suspended, fulerumed on an armor said bell-crank, and

an arm adjustable about a fixed means for varying the position of said :tul

crum by adjustment of said bell-crank, eon-- nected with the other arm of the same 16. In apparatus of the "character described, a rake suspended for reciprocation to move material along an inclinedsurface, and means for adjusting said rake to a plane at an angle to that in which it normally, has its movement, by varying the position of one of its points of suspension.

17; In apparatus of the character described, a reciprocating rake for moving material along an inclined surface, a rocker shaft from which said rake is movably suspended, and means for raising ssaid rake by varying the position of said icoeker shaft. 18. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of cooperatively connected rocker arms, a reciprocating rake movably suspended from said arms, its connection with one of them allowing of its upward self-adjustment, and means for moving said arms about their axes at determinate points in the reciprocating movement of the said rake.

19. In apparatus of the character described, a reciprocating rake having a pair of slotted hangers, and means for movabiy suspending said rake, including a yoke of inverted U-shape, pivoted at its transverse portion and having Within the slots of said hangers.

at its ends, trunnions In testimony whereof I have afixed 'my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

. DAVID J. NEVELL Witnesses: Y

L. Rnoanns, Boar Srsaess. 

